‘Cause Ignorance is Bliss (And a Little Explosive)
One of the great things about having Republicans run Texas is that there has been a great relaxing of sewage containment – you can pretty much crap anywhere as long as you ain’t one of them terrorists. Especially if you’re a member of the Chamber of Commerce.
Just two days after a bomb ripped through the federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995, state officials began to track casualties so they could gather vital information on treatment and safety.
Texas’ response to the explosion of a fertilizer plant in West has been far different. More than three months after that disaster, the state health department has yet to start collecting details on deaths or injuries.
Dr. David Lakey, State Health Services commissioner, ain’t talking to the media. He is indicating that there’s no rush. There’s an unofficial count of 300 injured but that’s just a guess.
A survey of injuries could highlight the potential danger faced by 20,000 Texans who live close to the state’s 73 other facilities that store large amounts of ammonium nitrate, the chemical that exploded in West.
It even got down to Sherry Williams, the director of the county health department, saying that she was concerned about who got to see the results of this study, adding, “I want to make sure this is not a hunting/blaming expedition.”
Well, hell no – let’s not waste time finding out who did this and how to keep it from happening again. Obviously a war isn’t necessary so why the tarnation would we want to know?
This is bidness, folks. And sacrificing a few hundred people on the alter of unregulated bidness is a small price to pay for Rick Perry’s business ads in other states. Hell, we didn’t even demand that all the sacrificials be virgins.
Bidness in Texas – where guesstimates will do unless it’s a CEO salary.
Let me see, the way I understand it is this – Perry takes
inspections for safety off the books to get these scummy firms to relocate in Texas, an un-regulated company blows up an entire town. Is it true that Perry is taking money from the federal government to rebuild the schools there?
How can Texas stay red?
1Not aware of Lakey’s credentials. How much did he contribute to Perry’s campaign to get his job?
2I read an interesting article about religious right and their affiliation with h e republican party.
They don’t care about ANYTHING but abortion. There is nothing more important then saving the ‘babies’.
The republicans will survive and prosper by doing nothing as long as they can say the word pro life and abortion.
3A “business” can move into Texas without any sort of inspection requirement at any time? What a great way to start a criminal enterprise!
4Is it also true that the investigation of the lady who fell from the roller coaster at Six Flags is being conducted by the corporation? Even Oklahoma has a labor and safety department that inspects and regulates amusement park rides.
5I have been wondering lately what was happening about that. Things got very quiet very quickly. I see it is about what I expected since the day it happened. George Zimmerman slaughtering an unarmed kid has generated a lot more publicity and with the same results when everyone forgets about it. The guilty will wind up the victims and with their pockets overflowing with money.
6Fox, meet hen house.
7“… a great relaxing of sewage containment…”
Except in the visitors gallery of the State Capitol. They got ya covered there!
8Texas again, blows an opportunity to lead. Perry mist a critical learning moment here. Had he not had both his hands in the pockets of bidness at the time, he could’ve changed the game. It’s a shame.
9It also says way to much about the culture of “fear.” It’s sad that Ms. Williams was more scared of assigning blame than she was interested in helping citizens.
10Senator Donna Campbell (“a woman of faith”) believes that abortion is murder but more regulations to prevent a tragedy like West, TX are not needed because they would be “bad for business”.
11Republicans cut money for certain NASA satellites because they don’t want anybody to have more information about climate change. They don’t want to collect information about the injuries and other damage from this explosion because they don’t want anybody to know about that either.
All part of the GOP motto: “Reality is whatever we say it is.”
12For a party that spouts plenty of data ( the 47% comment that Romney now denies is one example) they sure do all they can to prevent the collection of data to benefit anyone else. The NRA was successful in preventing the CDC from collecting information on gun deaths. Texas has no statistics on chemical storage. If the data isn’t there, they think the threat goes away.
Until they need a statistic. Then they make one up. They’re mathematically challenged, poor things. They believe that ‘ethics’ has four letters.
Bless their hearts.
13Actually, according to extensive reporting by the Dallas Morning News, the data on storage of chemicals in Texas is pretty well documented . . . . . just not inspected or regulated or acknowledged by anyone higher up than a few county officials. It pretty well rests on the curiosity and investigative skills of homeowners and business people to find out what is stored in plants, warehouses, and barns nearby, and whether or not it’s dangerous, before they get blown off the map. No one is going to give them that information voluntarily.
14Welcome to the wild, wild west !